Adjustable thickness looseleaf binder



Jan. 6, 1970 c. GUNTZ ADJUSTABLE THICKNESS LOOSELEAF BINDER Filed Oct.20, 196'? INVENTOR Charles GUNTZ United States Patent 3,488,128ADJUSTABLE THICKNESS LOOSELEAF BINDER Charles Guntz, Bischheim, France,assignor to Matorg S.A.R.L., Bischheim, Bas-Rhin, France Filed Oct. 20,1967, Ser. No. 676,925 Claims priority, application France, Oct. 22,1966,

Int. Cl. 342i 13/02, 3/00 US. Cl. 40213 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THEDISCLOSURE The present invention relates to looseleaf binders ofadjustable thickness especially adapted to join together documents suchas printed accounting sheets in increasing number and capable ofreaching a considerable height, in the order of 15 centimeters.

The binder according to the invention offers the advantage that itallows reading, in a completely flat condition, of any of the documentsthat it contains even if this document is accordion pleated. Besides, itallows for its contents to be indicated on an extensible label thatunrolls over its back as the documents accumulate.

This binder is made up of a rigid base connected to a flexible backformed with a series of perforations, of a flexible string welded to thebase and, after extending through the documents to be bound, goingthrough one or the other of the pairs of perforations of the back tothereafter be locked by an independent cover also comprising a pair ofperforations formed in a fold, the length of which is greater than thespace separating two successive pairs of perforations of the precedingflexible back.

A better understanding of the invention will be aflorded by thedescription that follows having reference to the appended drawingswherein:

FIGURE 1 is an exploded perspective view of the binder of adjustablethickness according to the invention; and

FIGURE 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the said binder.

The drawings show that the binder according to the invention is made upof a main element A and of a cover B.

Element A itself is formed of a rigid cardboard base 1 and of a flexibleback 2. This flexible back 2 is formed with two rows of pairedperforations 3 along its full length, the latter corresponding to thetotal maximum height of the stack of documents that can be bound by thisbinding.

Immediately beneath the base plate 1 is welded a plastic string 4 thatcomes out at 5 and 5 inwardly of the back 2 and which is adapted to gothrough the documents D before coming out through the pairedperforations 3.

The cover element B is a rigid plate 6 having a folded flap 7 providedwith a pair of perforations 8. As shown in FIGURE 2, the strings 5, 5after extending through the documents D go through a first pair ofperforations 3 of the back 2 then through the perforations 8 of thefolded flaps 7 and finally return inwardly toward the back 2 through asecond pair of perforations 3. The fact that the flap 7 covers twosuccessive pairs of per- 3,488,128 Patented Jan. 6, 1970 forations 3results in that the strings 5, 5 in returning inwardly toward the back 2are clamped between the said flap 7 and the horizontal part of the back2, thus fixing the ends of the strings to the length correspondingprecisely to the thickness of the stack of documents inset in thebinding.

It will be noted that the cover 6 extends flush with the back 2 whereasbase 1 only extends rearwardly to the level of the used perforations 3.

It will be understood that, between the rows of perforations 3, a label9 (FIGURE 4) may be disposed to extend over the full length of back 2and only the portion of which, located between the weld 4 and the backedge of cover 6, is visible so that a greater portion of the back 2becomes visible as the documents pile up at the same time revealingsuccessive zones of the label. It is then possible to mark on the labelthe location of the documents as they are inserted.

I claim:

1. In a looseleaf binder of adjustable thickness for the binding oflooseleaves having holes along one edge thereof; said binder having abase, a flexible back fixed at one end to one edge of the base andhaving a free edge; the back formed with two parallel rows of alignedpaired holes, each row extending between the base edge and the free edgeof the flexible back, the flexible back having a length such that aportion thereof may be folded over the top of the looseleaves at theperforated edge thereof when the looseleaves are inserted in the binder,the binder also having a cover intended to be disposed over thelooseleaves, the improvement in the combination therewith comprising:

(a) a flap hingedly connected along one edge thereof to one edge of saidcover whereby to be foldable beneath said cover to lie over the portionof said flexible back that is to lie over the looseleaves;

(b) said flap formed with two holes spaced to correspond each with onerow of holes of said flexible back and located away from the free edgeof said flap a distance greater than that separating two consecu tiveholes of said flexible back;

(c) two strings secured at one end to said base adjacent said flexibleback and located to correspond to the holes through the looseleaveswhereby, in use,

said strings extend successively through the aligned holes of thelooseleaves through two holes of the flexible back cover standing overthe looseleaf holes and through the holes of said flap; the strings thenproject away toward the free edge of said flap, bend down and in reversebeneath said flap and are then inserted through holes of said rowsimmediately ahead of the first flexible back holes through which thestrings first extend so that the cover, flexible back and looseleavesare tightly bound together.

2. A combination as claimed in claim 1, including a label on theflexible back, between said rows of back holes to mark the location oflooseleaves as they are inserted in said binder.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 710,947 10/1902 Buskirk 129-1754,628 3/ 1904 Whitney 1'2941 1,142,021 6/1915 Chambers 1294?.1,156,467 10/1915 Davis 129-41 1,878,321 9/1932 Poulton 12925 FOREIGNPATENTS 1,214,920 11/1959 France.

JEROME SCHNALL, Primary Examiner

